As Landon Collins returns to form for the New York Giants after undergoing a second arm-surgery to help his broken bone heal correctly, speculation and anticipation remain since participating in team drills.

Collins practices full-speed in mini-camp this week, the first since injuring his arm in week 16 of the 2017 season. Despite going into the game 2-13, Collins still showed his tenacity and winning mentality. That’s what you expect from your players – the “never quit” mindset.

According to PFF, Collins earned the No. 18 spot on their top 50 players list, while Damon Harrison landed at No. 44 and Odell Beckham Jr. 47th.

The fourth-year corner struggled mightily in his rookie season, as he was asked to play in coverage far too often. They moved him to his natural strong safety spot in his sophomore year, which instantly saw him develop defensive player of the year qualities. His ability to stop the run and shoot the gap is top tier, which made the switch perfect for him.

Collins continued to develop in coverage and learn how to track a ball through the air and match up against tight ends and even receivers. He has the speed and strength to match up with any pass-catcher. His ’16 stats attest to that, as he recorded five interceptions in his second year as a professional.

Why Landon Collins will break out for the New York Giants in 2018… Again:

The Giants added significant support to the linebacker corps this season – Alec Ogletree, Kareem Martin, Lorenzo Carter.

Providing aid for Collins in the run game will allow him to spy on the quarterback and rack up his interception totals once again. He will also be able to blitz unpredictably and throw the quarterback off balance. He will play a wild card role in the defense that will promote an unforeseeable scheme and force the offense to honor both sides of the defense.

In 2017, Collins was the focal point of the defense in which offenses knew to isolate him and take him out of the play. That’s a primary reason his tackles dropped from 100 to 74 in one season and he didn’t record a single sack.

With more talent and depth on the defense, it should allow him to harness his full abilities and utilize his speed to blitz and act as a true safety.